The Anguish of Lebanon

ISRAEL! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? WAIT FOR YOUR BOMBS!!!

I'm not an Israeli, but this is how I see it:

Before this evening, opposing politicians could call Hezbollah reckless and the destroyer of Hariri's legacy. Now, all we have to fear is more destruction from Israel.

From Israel, or from a maddended Hizbollah unwilling to depart without wreaking havoc -- the way Saddam did when he burned Iraq's oil fields? Nasrallah's rant might not have worked on Israel, but doesn't it seem to be working on you?

Do they expect us to rise up in arms against Hezbollah? Do they expect us to re-start the Lebanese civil war?

If every faction other than Hez stands firm, then there might not be a civil war if they ally themselves with Israel in wiping out the cancer. If the Lebanese "government" doesn't stand firm, then individual communities might have to negotiate in case of an Israeli invasion. And failing to ally with Israel and the U.N. resolution to disarm Hezbollah makes it far more likely that the Syrians will seize the initiative to re-occupy Lebanon in force.

It means that politician will be a target for assassination by Syrian agents. It means that whatever community does rise up against Hezbollah will be massacred because Hezbollah has all the weapons.

If things go as they should - and I hope its happening this way by now - the terrorists will be too busy ducking bombs to eliminate anybody. That's your opportunity. But you'll have to move qucikly - and before you feel entirely safe, I guess.

Attack Syria. Attack Iran. Then, you'll have a more even match.

Suppose those regimes collapsed overnight. Wouldn't the remnants migrate immediately to a Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, making your country worse off than ever?

We just want to be left alone. We've been fighting Hezbollah through words, UN resolutions, and actions, all the while being called traitors, Zionists, and becoming targets of violence.

An Israeli could have written those very words.

The Lebanese government is unable to challenge Hezbollah or join in the fight with Hezbollah...However, the government is allowing Hezbollah to decide the fate of the nation.

Then there is no Lebanon. There is only Hizbollahland and its tributary satellites. Hizbollah is trying to stay (fully armed in violation of U.N. resolutions) in Lebanon forever. If you want "to take power of [y]our country" ever again, isn't Israel your only hope?